SCOOP: Seniors lose faith

Beware the Ides of March

ABOVE THE FOLD

First in Observer — POLL WATCH — With Ontario’s senior population about to spike, elderly folks are worried that the home care system won’t be able to meet demand and that the Ford government isn’t doing enough to help them age at home.

That’s the upshot from a fresh public-opinion survey Home Care Ontario commissioned from Campaign Research (yes, that’s the firm headed up by PC pollster and Ford whisperer NICK KOUVALIS.)

Given that the number of folks aged 75-plus is forecast to rise by an eye-popping 350,000 in the next five years, “seniors are worried,” said SUE VANDERBENT, CEO of Home Care Ontario, which represents home care providers.

By the numbers: Almost all — 89 per cent — of seniors surveyed are concerned about the availability of home care services in the province given increased demand. Another 86 per cent say the Ford government hasn’t invested enough in the system, while 61 per cent believe home care staffing should be top priority.

That’s in part because a…